


New hope

by ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish



Series: Ree [9]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Arguing, Conversations, Developing Relationship, F/M, Feelings, Long Shot, Relationship(s), To Be Continued
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2019-01-01 00:35:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12144681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish/pseuds/ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish
Summary: At long last - Ree receives news concerning her friend Holly, and she's eager to get going! As her feelings have developed to what some call love, she still isn't sure about Hancock. The story of Ree & Hancock continues.





	New hope

The word on the streets were that Bobbi No-Nose actually had dug a tunnel from Goodneighbor to one of Hancock's secluded storage rooms. Now she's gone ”missing”, in another words, Fahrenheit dealt with her.

When the morning after our drinking came a week ago, I was again lost how to face Hancock. The wine and the braveness it had brought me were gone, and I was back to my old, unsure self. Hancock didn't seem to remember much, he just laughed and noted ”that's Charlie's whisky for ya”.

So basically we were back in the square one... But not entirely. What Magnolia had revealed to me about myself had woken something inside my mind. I guess it had been planted long before she told me about it, but now it had sprouted and demanded my attention.

That said, we carried on our daily lives as usual. I helped Daisy whenever she needed me, and other times I spent practicing my shooting skills. I was getting pretty good at it, too. Now Fahrenheit only stepped in every now and then to check on me, but she was seemingly glad that I had progressed so much. For that I even got some guarding duties at the walls, but on those duties I was never alone.

Today I was in the middle of practice, when Fahrenheit stormed in. I turned to look at her, surprised of her being so hasty.

”Ree”, she huffed, ”We got a message from Nick. A courier from Diamond City just dropped it to Hancock and he thought you should be there.”

I nearly dropped the rifle, but managed to keep it in my hands. I shoved it on a table, exclaimed my thanks to Fahrenheit and ran out.

I didn't have to knock on Hancock's study room, since the doors were open. He gestured me inside and gave me a piece of paper with indecipherable face. I grabbed it from him and started reading. I was so excited that the blood pumping in my veins partially blurred my vision.

”He was found?” I burst out when I had read the first few lines. ”The guy who bought Holly?”

”Yeah, but he was dead already.”

I raised my eyes from the note and looked at Hancock.

”Dead? What happened?”

Hancock lit a cigar and scratched his chin.

”From what they gathered he had been dead for few days. Some of his slaves had killed him and his henchmen. There were bodies of confirmed slaves there, too, but none of them matched to the description of your friend.”

”Was... Did they find anyone alive there?”

”No. But again, no sign of your friend. I don't want to give you any false hope, but it might be possible that she had escaped.”

I noticed that I had crumpled the paper in my hands. I opened my fists and tried to straighten the fragile note.

”The cottage”, I breathed and Hancock glanced at me. ”Maybe she went back. She doesn't know where to look for me, so that would only be a natural choice for her.”

”I thought you said you don't exactly know where this cottage of yours is?”

”Well... I don't. But if you can find me a map of Boston, I might be able to trace it by following the streams and lakes. I also know a bit of the surrounding area of the cottage, so if the map is detailed enough, then maybe it would be possible to pinpoint it.”

Hancock thought about it a while.

”I think we do have some old maps in the cellar of a warehouse. I'll get someone to pick them up. If you can point us the cottage, then maybe Fahrenheit can go and check it out.”

”No”, I exclaimed. ”I have to go. This is something that I definitely want to do. If Holly is there, I want to see her.”

Hancock's face grew darker.

”You're not ready to go out yet.”

”I'm ready enough! If I can borrow some weapons and armor, I will find my way”, I protested.

Hancock straightened himself and took some quick steps at me. He looked so furious I nearly staggered back.

”We”, he growled, ”had a deal. You promised to stay here, train and stay alive. Are you going back on it?”

I swallowed, but didn't let him intimidate me.

”How about you then? You promised to personally watch over my training, but I've hardly seen you during the past week.”

He blinked and was still processing my comeback, when I continued.

”I'm not going back on my promise. I'm not going out there to die. But right now I have something to grab on. I have real hope finding Holly. And I'm going to take it, with or without your help. It's not making me less grateful for everything that you, Fahrenheit or anyone else here have done for me.”

He just stared at me silently. For a moment I was afraid he'd get mad and throw me out, but then he sighed and turned his back on me.

”Fine. If you're able to find your cottage from our maps... I'll go with you.”

”But aren't you needed here?” I asked, to which he waved his hand.

”Goodneighbor can survive a couple of days without me lying in the drenches of it and being high.”

For the first time in ages I felt tears forming in my eyes and I started wiping them in my sleeve.

”Thank you”, I said with a muffled voice.

He landed his hand on my head and I looked up. He hadn't been this close to me since the night at The Third Rail. His smile was slightly crooked, but it was a gentle one.

”You're right, by the way. I haven't been around as much as I did promise. Sorry about that. Let's say that by me coming with you I'll compensate my past absence.”

I nodded, but couldn't stop the tears flowing right away.

…

One of Hancock's men brought a whole box of dusty maps up to Hancock's study. Many of them were so old that they started to crumble from the lightest touch. I tried to treat them as gently as I could, straightening them and putting some weights on the corners.

Most of the maps were only maps of Massachusetts and way too general, but I did found two maps, which were slightly better condition than the rest. One was of Boston as well was the other, but the other one had also terrains marked in.

We spent the whole day inspecting them – me, Hancock and Fahrenheit. Fahrenheit was a big help, since she had traveled more and could distinct many places for me only by getting a vague description.

I felt nostalgic looking at the old maps. So many sites and roads which weren't there anymore.

”How can you not know where the cabin is?” Fahrenheit once asked me and I felt slightly ashamed.

It was because when I had first wandered in the wilderness after emerging from the vault, starving and not paying attention to my surroundings, I didn't have a clue how far had I walked and if I'd gone in circles or not. I didn't have any reliable point of reference, and when Holly had found me, she had to practically carry me. On top of that, Holly didn't have any maps and her description of the cabin's location had been only about ”it's few hours from the city”. But it didn't matter to me back then, I was just glad to be able to live with her and feel like I had a family.

”I'd put my money on one of these small lakes here”, Fahrenheit pointed North-West. ”Pretty close to Concord.”

”That one's shape looks familiar”, I tried to mentally place myself standing on the shore of the lake and look around. ”That actually could be it. See? If the cabin would be here, then there should be a stream right about... There.”

I stood up, excited.

”That's gotta be it! I'm sure of it! When can we leave?”

Hancock measured the map with his fingers and Fahrenheit answered for him.

”It's already late, so I'd suggest you leave early tomorrow. There are nasty things, but even nastier ones come out at night. We should get your gun ready and check on your armor, too. I'll get someone to pack you guys some food and water. If you're lucky, you should reach the cabin by mid-day. The approximate distance is only under ten miles, but there are some areas you might be better to circle around.”

Together with Fahrenheit we collected everything I should need on our journey, and Daisy was a big help. From her I got a new set of clothes, armor for my arms and legs and so on.

”Youre like a daughter to me”, she croaked, ”but these are only a loan. You get them back here along yourself intact, and I'll let you borrow them.”

”How about that rifle over there, too?” Fahrenheit asked and pointed a gun on a high shelf. ”It looks like it's about the same as you've been practicing with, but it has an added scope. It might come handy.”

”I don't know”, I hesitated, but Fahrenheit made the decision for me.

”We'll take that one. Put it on Hancock's tab.”

”Sure thing. I'll throw in some ammo, too”, Daisy handed me the rifle. By the look of it it sure did look and feel just like the one I've learned to use. I still didn't know much about guns, but I was slowly getting there.

We took everything up in my room and Fahrenheit turned to look at me.

”You absolutely sure you want to do this?”

”Yes. It's not like I haven't been out there before”, I tried to smile. ”And this time I can carry a proper gun, too.”

”You do realize that you haven't yet actually shot anything alive? You might be okay shooting immobile things, but how about creatures? Ghouls? Mutants? People?”

”I do. But I have killed some radroaches and mole rats – they were the usual pests around the cottage. If it's for survival or protecting someone... I think I can do it with a gun, too.”

Fahrenheit patted me on my shoulder.

”Don't worry. Hancock's the best guy to travel with. Sure, he's impulsive, full of bad jokes, always getting high... But he's a man of his word. He'll get you there and back alive.”

With that Fahrenheit left so I could get some sleep. But I felt like that would be the last thing on earth I could do right now. I was too anxious to get moving, plus only now it landed on me; that I would be traveling with Hancock. Alone.

I laid on the bed and lifted my hands to cover my face.

” _Sure, he's impulsive, full of bad jokes, always getting high...”_

She was right. Hancock was everything she had said, and more. He was dangerous and ruthless what came to his enemies, but he also fought for those who needed the help. He didn't hesitate if the situation called for violence and, in some extend, he enjoyed it, too.

But I also saw the other side of him. He could be gentle. He had listened my story and had helped me to deal with it.

And I loved him. During these past few days I had finally admitted that to myself. I couldn't decide whether I should be angry, sad or happy about it, though. Should I push it away, or embrace it. I still didn't know how he felt for me. Except, that he had now twice came on to me. But every time he had apologized for it and either been high or drunk when it happened, and afterwards I got the impression of being pushed further.

Only Magnolia had told me that Hancock ”liked what he saw” and ”was fond of me”. But what did that mean, really? I didn't have the kind of courage to confront him about it, either. And even if I did... I probably wouldn't know where to start. Call me a coward if you want, but I'd rather keep him as a friend than confess my feelings for him and learn that he only saw me as a bothersome girl.

”Rrrrggggh”, I growled in frustration. ”Stop it. Stopitstopitstopit.”

_Holly should be my number one priority. So... Put a sock in it, heart. You too, brain._

 


End file.
